But individuals toward each other are governed by love, unity, forgiveness and a sin-covering eye. Once the friends grasp this they will get along much better…. (Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 77)

After Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago referred to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s defenders as “attack dogs,” Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson drew his guns and called her a “crusading crook” whose “victims … will tell you how much they shelled out” for her “verbal assault” to stop.

This was the latest installment in the Senate saga where Enrile left out four senators when his office realigned the chamber’s P30 million in savings and gave additional maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) to a clique of 18 colleagues.

Getting physical

The verbal tussle turned physical. On Wednesday, Santiago suffered from hypertension so severe that it caused some of the blood vessels to burst in her right eye.

Her media staff quoted Santiago’s ophthalmologist, Rodolfo Chuanico, who explained the effect of her high blood pressure on her eye.

Santiago along with Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, and Senators Pia Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV received the first tranche of MOOE of P600,000 last November and the P250,000 cash gift given by Enrile’s office last Christmas.

However, the four senators did not get the second tranche of P1.3 million and the third installment of P318,000 given to their 18 colleagues.

Santiago appeared on a morning talk show Wednesday where she singled out one of Enrile’s “attack dogs” for taking the cudgels for the Senate President.

Part of Santiago’s statement, e-mailed to reporters after the talk show, said “one of Enrile’s attack dogs is not a lawyer, but is pretending to be one, and that is why that senator keeps on calling on Santiago to shut up.”

She used the term “nag-aabu-abugaduhan” (pretending to be a lawyer) during her interview with ANC’s talk show “Headstart.”

“Just because they are senators, they think of their immediate knowledge of the entire universe, of the legal system,” she told “Headstart” host Karen Davila.

‘Filled with hubris’

“He does not even have a clue about the principle of exhaustion of administrative remedies. He was involved in a court case, and he turned tail and became a fugitive from justice, which is a criminal behavior. That is what you get when a layman filled with hubris pretends to be a lawyer,” she added.

Those who tuned in to the program immediately realized that Santiago had talked about Lacson.

It was Lacson who told Santiago to stop her tirade against Enrile, saying she still got her additional MOOE in November but did not raise a howl.

Lacson added that he would take on Santiago’s challenge for all senators to bare their income, other perks and actual expenses if Santiago herself would take the lead in doing so.

Santiago, however, twitted Enrile’s defender.

“If that senator wants to participate in the conspiracy of silence, he can, but he should respect my freedom of expression and the public’s right to know under the Constitution. If a dog barks at midnight, the homeowner should go out and search for the intruder, instead of beating the dog,” she said.

Santiago added that her “enemies” were responding to the situation “from a position of total ignorance.”

An obviously upset Lacson responded in a text message sent to Senate reporters. “Sen. Miriam Santiago is what we may call a ‘crusading crook.’ She pretends to be clean when she is not,” he said.

‘Hypocrite par excellence’

Lacson called Santiago a “hypocrite par excellence” who “doesn’t have a single shred of integrity in her veins and moral ascendancy over any mortal on earth.”

“Ask people who have fallen victim to her verbal threats and assaults and they will tell you how much they shelled out (for her to stop),” he added.

Lacson advised Santiago to “do some soul-searching and self-reflection. She should also stop blaming God for all her hurt feelings.”

Santiago said critics were spreading disinformation that she should shut up because she received Senate savings on previous occasions.

“If I received those funds, it was because they were in modest amounts and distributed during the course of the year. But recently, Enrile authorized a Christmas gift of nearly P2 million to every senator, and at the end of the year,” she said.

Phony

Santiago said the “additional MOOE” at yearend was “phony, because in effect, the office closes at the end of the year and therefore there is no more need for additional office expenses.”

“Starting January, every senator will receive his monthly allocation of P2.2 million, half of which will go to personal services and half to office expenses. So I ask: ‘Why give so-called additional MOOE at yearend, when the Senate has effectively closed for the year, and new MOOE will be given in January?’” she said.

Red blood clots

Santiago’s staff added that former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Santiago’s cardiologist and friend, was being contacted to look into the senator’s condition.

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos believe that corruption in local government units (LGUs) is more widespread now than in the past year, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.

The nationwide 2012 Good Local Governance Survey, conducted among 1,500 household heads from Aug. 20 to 28, found that 56 percent of Filipinos still consider the level of corruption now in the city/municipality government as similar to the level a year ago, 33 percent said it is more widespread now, and 23 percent said it is more widespread last year.

The SWS noted that those who see “a lot” of corruption in the city/municipal government hardly changed from 25 percent this year to 22 percent last year.

As compared to last year, the same offices where corruption is considered most widespread occupy the top three positions, namely, the Budget Office (from 40 percent to 48 percent), Mayor’s Office (from 30 percent to 32 percent), and the Engineer’s Office (from 20 percent to 30 percent).

The SWS also listed the top 11 offices where corruption happens. These are the Treasurer’s Office (27 percent, up from 5th to 6th), Business Permit and Licensing Office (24 percent, stayed at 5th place), Transport and Traffic Management Office (19 percent, up from 7th place), Accountant Office (18 percent, up from 9th place), and Public Market Office (16 percent, up from 12th rank), Barangay Affairs and Public Assistance Center (13 percent, down from 4th place), Assessors Office (13 percent, up from 13th to 14th place), and Agriculture Office (13 percent, down from 8th place).

Over the past three years, Filipinos’ awareness of any anti-corruption effort of the city/municipal government has grown from 26 percent to 35 percent.

The survey also found 73 percent of household heads satisfied, and 14 percent dissatisfied, with the performance of their city/municipal government, for a net satisfaction rating of “very good” +59 (percentage of satisfied minus percentage of dissatisfied).

The +59 rating is five points below the very good net rating of +64 (75 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) in July 2011, but 15 points above the good +44 (68 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied in September 2009.

The survey also found 70 percent satisfied and 7 percent dissatisfied with the performance of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), for a very good net satisfaction rating of +63, up by five points from the good +48 (58 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) in July 2011.

Very good net satisfaction ratings were also obtained by key local officials and institutions: Governor (down from +67 in July 2011 to +56 in August 2012), Mayor (down from an excellent +73 to +65), Vice-Mayor (down from +68 to +60), Barangay-Chairman (down from an excellent +70 to +63), City/Municipal Council (down from +61 to +57), and City/Municipal Police (hardly moving from +53 to +54).

The 2012 Survey on Good Local Governance was supported through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) Partnership in the Philippines.

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Well, what do you know? PNoy DID have ‘FOI’ in his SONA

Who says President Aquino left FOI out of his State of the Nation Address? Freedom of Information advocate Vincent Lazatin took a closer look at PNoy’s speech and found the devil in the details. By: Interaksyon

More than 100 lawmakers sign manifesto pushing for FOI bill

Lawyer Nepomuceno Malaluan (second from right), flanked by lawmakers and members of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, expresses disapproval over attempts to “dribble the FOI bill to death”. Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon.com

As a candidate in May 2010, President Aquino had promised to enact an FOI law as a strategic pillar of his ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path) administration. His study group has proposed, which in turn he endorsed, an FOI version that includes amendments to address his concerns,” the group said. By:Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon

Onus for FOI passage on public info committee – Gonzales

The bill, which seeks to provide the people with access to information such as government documents upon formal request, had been killed on the last session day of the House in the 14th Congress for lack of a quorum. By: Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon.com

Running out of time, FOI advocates find ‘no room’ in Congress as well

Instead of having it on the week of October 15, as Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. had earlier announced, the hearing has been reset for November 13, a little over a month before Congress goes on break again. By:Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon.com

FOI in ICU, says Tanada

“Representative Ben Evardone placed the FOI in ICU, in life support, gasping for breath,” Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III said, when asked about the new schedule of the hearing. By: Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon

NUJP, KBP, PPI and news groups observe FOI day

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) stands united today with other journalists and media groups as the Philippine media community reiterates its demand for the long-awaited passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

In a statement released Thursday, the NUJP said, “The government has clearly run out of excuses to delay the passage of the Freedom of Information bill.”

“The only plausible reason why the FOI bill continues to languish in Congress is that the administration does not intend to see it become law,” it added.

NUJP challenged President Benigno Aquino III to show a firm resolve to pass the measure, saying, “But if President Aquino could push the House to end the debates on the Reproductive Health bill although he was certain to court the ire of the Catholic church, we see no reason why he cannot do the same for the FOI bill, which can only earn him the people’s appreciation.

“Mr. Aquino, believe us, there is nothing we desire more than for you to prove us wrong. And we dare you to do so,” NUJP said. Read more from the Source… Interaksyon

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Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016

Good Governance and the Rule of Law

Good governance sets the normative standards of development. It fosters participation, ensures transparency, demands accountability, promotes efficiency, and upholds the rule of law in economic, political and administrative institutions and processes. It is a hallmark of political maturity but also a requisite for growth and poverty reduction, for there are irreducible minimum levels of governance needed for large- scale investment to occur and for social programs to be supported. A cornerstone of good governance is adherence to the rule of law, that is, the impersonal and impartial application of stable and predictable laws, statutes, rules, and regulations, without regard for social status or political considerations. This chapter assesses the quality of governance in the country and identifies key governance challenges that constrain development. It then lays down corresponding strategiesto achieve good governance anchored on the rule of law, and provide an enabling environment for national development.

Assessment and Challenges

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Citizens’ Participation

Although citizens have a legal right of access to communication, there is no established legal route for citizens to petition to obtain government records.

The actual practice of many citizens testifies to the highly uneven willingness or preparedness of government offices to provide information as well as the poor quality of the information provided, if at all.

This is also seen from the country’s low score for the 2008 Global Integrity Report under the category of Civil Society, Public Information and Media category, which even dropped one point from the 2007 score of 69. The proposed Freedom of Information Act is an important step towards addressing this problem.

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Strategic Framework

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Enhance Citizens’ Access to Information and Participation in Governance

Pursue the Passage of the Freedom of Information Bill. The Freedom of Information Bill is intended to give the citizenry access to information by allowing full disclosure of all transactions which are of public interest. It aims to institute transparency in the national and local government’s undertakings relative to loans, treaties, contacts and other similar transactions.

Issue an Executive-Wide Policy on Public Access to Information Pending the Passing of the Right to Information Act
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MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan First Division on Thursday ordered the arrest of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 9 others in connection with a P300 million plunder case involving the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) intelligence funds.

Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Efren Dela Cruz signed the arrest order and was issued Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Arroyo, who was freed from detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on a P1 million bail last July 25 for an electoral sabotage case, is facing jail time once again after the Sandiganbayan issued the arrest warrant for the plunder case filed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

She also posted bail for a graft and corruption case pending before the Sandiganbayan.

Plunder is a non-bailable offense.

The Pampanga lawmaker filed her certificate of candidacy for re-election at a Comelec office in San Fernando, Pampanga Wednesday.

In the complaint, The respondents allegedly conspired in withdrawing, amassing, accumulating public funds worth over P300 million from July 2007 to January 2010.

Uriarte allegedly wrote several letters to Arroyo to authorize her to utilize the intelligence funds for PCSO to help them in conducting intelligence operations.

During the Senate inquiry in 2011, Uriarte said the funds were used to investigate how medicines given to beneficiaries ended up in commercial markets and the creation of measures to counter scams victimizing lotto bettors.

This is the first plunder case filed against Arroyo and the third criminal case filed against her—for electoral sabotage pending before the Pasay City regional trial court and graft and corruption before the Sandiganbayan.

Pirma na para sa FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (FOI) Now!

The law speaks already about Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and Development Acceleration Fund that all are declared unconstitutional. In these connections, this Statement;

To our executive branch of National Government;

We believed that being elected and appointed in our executive branch of the Government you know and the people knew that the law implementations are in your power and capacity.

People knew and you know, that you are duty bound to execute those laws, whoever are the subject of that implementations. And the laws should equally be applied to anyone who violates and we all knew that “ ignorance of the law excuses No one” no matter who you are in the society and no matter you are in the highest position in the government.

Therefore, all persons involved in PDAF anomaly should be penalized and implement what is indicated in the law. The same with the President of the Republic of the Philippines, no other than Benigno Aquino III and DBM Secretary Butch Abad and all the government officials and even those private individuals who commit or being involved in the said DAP anomaly should suffer and what the laws implies should be legally applied to them.

To our legislators

The Senate and House of Representative are empowered by law should act in accordance to your powers and duties and must not act as the defense lawyers of the executives involved in the illegal use of DAP.

Senators and congressmen, should and must be the representatives of the people not by the few and elite. Congressmen should represent the sentiments of the people in the issue of PDAF and DAP.

They were elected not to protect those government official involved in corruption. You must act and speak in behalf of the people who elected you to the position you are having today.

To the officials of Local Government Units (LGU);

The Provincial governors, and provincial board, municipality and City Mayors, Vice-mayors, members of the municipality and city councils should speak out loud in behalf of their constituents” rights and should lead the people to speak up their sentiments against those officials involved in DAP & PDAF anomalies.

To the people of Marikina;

Let us join our hands. Let us condemn and pressure this government of “Us” to prosecute those people who abused in the use of peoples” money. If necessary let our voice be heard in every corner of the streets. Let us all use those available legal avenues and make those corrupt be accountable on their illegal act against the peoples” money and interests